I took a deep breath as Unaimaru finally broke through the water surface. I held on and shook my hair out as he glided across, “Over there! Take me there.” I pointed over in the direction of Turtle Island and my summon obliged.

It was a clear day before Unaimaru took me under but now it was night time so I didn’t bother searching for Uncle immediately. We hadn’t even reappeared in the same spot as both the mainland and Turtle Island were a significant distance away.

“How long have we been gone?”

“Kaizoku drowns all. Perhaps you’ve been absent a day or two or perhaps it has been a year or three.” Unaimaru cackled at his own useless response.

I groaned, sick of the giant Unagi’s attitude. I’d get used to it in time but right now wasn’t that time. But there did seem to be some kernel of truth to his response, that being there was little to no consistency to how much time warped away when I was within Kaizoku’s realm. The last time I’d gone under I spent much more time navigating through his tower, finding and fighting him all to return to the battlefield where little time had passed and the sun was still up just as I’d left.

And now, even though I surely wasted less time fighting or even discussing with the great serpent, more than a couple of hours had passed. I’ll have to be careful visiting Kaizoku from now on then.

Fortunately I’d taken care of most pressing matters before attending to Kaizoku’s demand for drowned lungs. Given the order to lax our defences, recalled our shinobi from non-essential posts, and most important of all, spoke to Minato’s envoy. But my thoughts were beyond administrative bore or political manoeuvring, instead I focused all towards my next moves on Turtle Island.

As Isobu promised, once I could sense Yang chakra, Yin naturally exposed itself to my senses. Even now, riding atop Unaimaru I could sense the fading effects of the technique he uses to slip between realms. But I was nervous, it felt like with every passing second my affinity to sense these nature born chakras was waning.

It’s alright if it does. I told myself as Unaimaru split a wave, I could always return to Kaizoku with another two-hundred and fifty guilty, lord knows there were many waiting to be judged. I quieted Jason’s rearing weakness, I had expressed enough of that and though I sympathised with the emotion and even questioned my own actions sending the guilty to a being like Kaizoku, none of that changed the reality in front of me.

I’m running out of time. It’s a thought that had been plaguing me right from the moment I announced my intentions of joining the Daimyo’s war, one that intensified greatly when Zetsu stole Shizu Yuki’s corpse from her clan cemetery and attempted to sow discontent by attacking Lord Funato.

I needed to get stronger faster, impervious to all that Obito or Pein could throw at me. I needed to grow faster. I smacked Unaimaru’s side, “Hurry it up, I know you can swim faster than this, or do you just enjoy my company?”

The giant Unagi tried shaking me off his back all while he swam but I saw that coming and grasped the padding of feathers along his neck. He growled but did as I asked and soon Turtle Island became visible from atop his neck.

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“There are people moving towards us. More sacrifices?”

I sensed them as well and quickly identified the lot as members of my ANBU. They arranged themselves along the edge of the Island, many already revving their chakra pathways for a battle. They think I’m an outsider, are there no sensors in that team?

“Keep your jowls closed Unaimaru, don’t speak unless you are spoken to.” I ordered, he’d scared Zabuza and Mangetsu enough with his presence and thinly veiled threat the last time, I didn’t need him spooking my ANBU, incompetent as they were not to have sensors on their team.

Unaimaru began to swim at a cruise speed, snaking his way towards the Island slowly enough that I could stand upon his head and halt my ANBU. I leaped off and the squad of eight fell to their knees.

“Mizukage-sama! You’ve returned!”

At that specific word of their greeting I had to ask, “How long have I been gone?”

“A day sir. Lord Karatachi reported your disappearance, we’ve been on the lookout for any creatures that matched his description of the one who swallowed you.”

A day…not bad for Senjutsu practice. I gave my ANBU a chuckle though, “Do not be afraid of this one. He is mine. Go, Unaimaru, I will summon you again for battle or for sacrifice.”

Unaimaru reared his head and body out of the water so it splashed and rained all over the ANBU, his eyes told me he had something to say but mine reminded him to shut up. He disappeared in a poof of smoke.

I started walking towards the Island’s temple where I undertook my Tailed-Beast training, I had to move quickly while I could still taste the fleeting Nature Release of Yin and Yang. “Retrieve Harusame for me, as well as Utakata. And inform my Uncle of my return and safety, though I doubt he feared for it. Oh and summon Ao as well.”

“At your side, Yagura-sama.” Ao said, already among the ANBU, masked and in gear and yet I hadn’t stopped walking long enough to notice his presence.

I smiled, “Perfect, lets go. I need you at my side at all times, Ao, there are threats only you must intercept.” I turned and found the rest of the ANBU squad that hadn’t dispersed as I gave orders waiting. I thought for a moment then shrugged, “The rest of you secure the area, I don’t want any civilians or Genin coming through until I have left.”

They dispersed then, leaving me and Ao walking towards the temple. “Do you truly intend on releasing the Three Pillar seal, Yagura?” I heard Isobu ask within my mindscape.

I allowed my body to move on autopilot while my mind sunk within itself to see him in his own realm of water. He was giant as ever, as large as Kaizoku and clearly stronger as the weight of his chakra seeped through every molecule of water around. But his tails were pinned, all three stuck to the bottom of a bottomless oceanscape.

“I’m sorry Isobu, truly, I am. I should have done so the moment we became friends, the moment we understood our mission and how much of a threat our enemies pose not just to us, but to the entire world. I’m sorry that as always, it is a path to power that forces me to do the right thing, to condemn criminals and now to set a friend free.”

Isobu looked down at my form, his single eye studied my features intently and I prayed he saw I meant every word. Then, he revealed his second eye to me, one he’d always kept hidden. Even in Jason’s memories I'd always seen Isobu with a single eye.

“I trust you as you trust me, Yagura-kun.” he reached out with a giant hand and gentler than a chick, patted my head. “You are worth my friendship.”

I tried not to tear up as Jason’s memories and even my own let me know just how much this meant to the Tailed Beast, to Isobu. I was the second friend he’d made after Hagoromo himself.

“It is an honour, Isobu and a joy.”

“Did you say something, Mizukage-sama?” Ao’s voice brought me out of my mindscape and I shook my head, wiping away the tear that had snuck out of my eyes.

“No, it’s nothing for you to understand just yet, Ao.”